Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-01-19
0OYERNOR,S MESsAnE


The message OF Governor Martin. de-
livered To the Legislature last week. is a
most complete document and intelli-
gently discusses every subject in which
Kansas Is interested and makes sew
eral important recommended Jns to the
legislature. Every citizen should be
iterested in the affairs of his own
state. We cannot publish the message
in full, and but few persons would read
1t. IL we did, but herewith we give a
synopsis that is unbiased and fair.
lie says that the growth of Kansas.
during the past two years, has been ex-
traordinary. The census OF March lst.
1881, gave the state population of /,
1854; that Of March LIST, 1883, showed
an Increase to l 400, 73s; aud our popu-
lation now exceeds I ,50JOO0. Since the
lirst of January, 1880. fifteen new cuun-
ties have been Organized. These coun-
ties had, at the date of their Organiza-
ton. an aggregate population of 3S,S4l,
aud they polled, at the November cleo
ton, three not voting total of Is, IOS
votes. They include territorial area
of II ,35j square miles. Only two of the
one hundred counties of the state, en-
bracing an area of $50 square miles,
remain to lie organized.
Two years ago the railway mileage of
Kansas aggregated only 4,4S6i miles,
assessed ut S2S, As, 9O7 SO, and trayers-
ing seventy-three counties of the state.
To day Kansas has 6,O6O miles of COM
pleted railway, the assessed value of
which is fully $50, 100000. These lines
traverse eighty-six of our one hundred
counties.
In 1884 the assessed value OF all the
property OF tho state was S237 .O2O, 39I;
for 1886 it was SIT ,575,353. We had.
then, 1901 1873 acres i'm cultivation;
last year we had 10, 473, 495 acres.
Fifteen new counties have been or
ganized during the past two years, viz:
Comanche, February 9th, Clark, May
5th, Thomas. October Sth, and Meade,
November, 4th, 1885; and Hamilton,
January 18th, Kiowa, March 23d, Chey-
enne, April lst, Lane. June Sd, Seward,
June nth, Scott, June 18th, Stevens,
August Sd, Cove, September I'd, Sber-
man, September 30th. Morton, Novem-
Der 18th, and Wichita, December eth,
1886.
The reports of the auditor and treas
urer furnish detailed and satisfactory
exhibit Of the financial transactions of
the state for the last biennial period.
During the two years covered by these
reports the receipts of the treasury lin
GLIDING balane Of S754,5l2.O7 on hand
July lst, 1884, aggregated S5.5I7, I67. ss,
and the disbursements for the same
period were 4,962, S9l.17, leaving bal
ance in the treasury, June 3Oth, 1885, of
S5s4, 273 10.
The total bonded debt of the state, on
the LIST Of January, 1887, was $3.50. 500.
showing a reduction. since January LIST,
1885, Of SlO5,OOO. OF the debt outstapd-
ing only $4,000 of bonds remain i'm the
hands OF individuals and corporations,
S5I4 800 being held by different state
funds. The permanent school fund
holds sos, 800; the sinking fund, SI2,-
600; and the university fund, $4,000.
The bonds and securities ia the treas
ury on the 3lst day of December, 1856.
aggregated Si,67s.O46 G2, as follows:
permanent school fund bonds, S4,OOI,-
S27.O5; sinking fund bonds, So, 900; uni
versity fund bonds, $IO6,46S, normal
school fund bonds, ST. .4O7: agricultural
college endowment fund bonds, Si3s,-
O66.60; agricultural college notes and
contracts, S4S,777.SS.
From July LIST, 1856, to December 3lst,
1886. the receipts were 81 ,224.577. oI.
which added to the balance of June
SOth, makes a total of 81, sos ,s5l.lO.
During the same time, the disburse-
ments were 81 1906 %. The balance
in the treasury, December 3lst, 1886,
was Sils, 1851.
The public buildings and grounds of
the state he believes to be worth So
csc, 900.
Two years ago the municipal indebt-
edness of the state aggregated Sl5.95l,-
W.. or this amount the county indebt-
edDess aggregated SS,O65, 1883; town.
ship, 1880, O3O.9O; city, s., 4s7. 436. IL;
and school district, S2,74s, 7l4.5O. On
the list OF January, 1887, this dreadful
burden of local indebtedness had in
creased to Sl0,397, S5l.
But this is not all. Since Jaurarv
LIST, 1855, municipal bonds have been
voted, but are not yet issued, aggregat-
ing Sll ,222,OO0. or this amount SILL
l4G,6OO was to railroads and S75, 400 to
other purposes.
If all the bonds thus voted were is
sued, the municipal indebtedness of
Kansas would be as follows:
y, nuhty.: ..................... ,3TS,65l
-, LOW hSihp'. '............... 9,4l5.306
SI,Y - -: '''............ 3.gI5, 4S4
IOlal' ................. $50, Gl9, S5l
II is hardly probable, however. that
half OF the bonds now voted, but not
issued, will ever be earned. But the
aggregate of municipal indebtedness.
even If one-half of the bonds voted
should never be issued, will exceed
S25 900, 900, and it seems to me time to
put n stop, firmly and thoroughly, to
this waStful extravaganza. Vast as are
the resources Of our state, wonderful as
It's growth has been, and bright as its
DrOQDppfg arp nathan a. ....-a..